Fox and Phoenix (Lóng City 1)

A guard hurried to the chief wizard’s side and whispered in her ear.

“When?” she said sharply.

“Moments ago. No more.”

“And those fool wizards could not prevent it?”

“They tried—”

She dismissed the excuse with a gesture. “Never mind. I shall attend to the matter myself.” Her attention swung back to us. “What would you say if you learned that thief died? Not from his wounds, but from magic?”

I stared. Yún did the same.

“Someone,” the chief wizard said, “did not wish us to question him.” She tapped her fingers against her desktop, clearly distracted by the news. Yún and I shifted nervously. All I could think was that no matter who was to blame, they’d sentence us to jail for the man’s death and we’d never get to Phoenix City to find Lian.

“I see only one solution,” she said at last. “You brought these troubles to our city, therefore you must take them away. You must leave Golden Snowcloud tomorrow morning and no later. If we detained you, we would only draw more violence upon ourselves. Better if you take it away with you.”

“You can’t throw us out into a storm. Hospitality says—”

“There is no more storm.”

“What?”

Yún and I spoke at the same time.

“You had no idea?” She stared at us a moment longer. “An even stronger reason to send you away as quickly as we might,” she murmured. To us, she said, “Your griffin extinguished the storm with its magic. Now do you see why you must go?”

I was too shocked to argue. Yao-guài? Our little monster? Yún appeared equally shaken.

The chief wizard shook her head. Ran a hand through her wispy hair. Her fingers were like small brown sticks. How many of her enemies underestimated her, thinking her old and weak and fragile?

“I wish I knew more about the reason for your journey,” she said, “but that is not my concern. Now, before you depart, let me remove the spell for truth. You might find it inconvenient.”

She spoke a word. I had the sense of a cloak falling away from my skin. Yún touched her throat. Her color had improved in the past few moments.

“You will find your injuries trouble you no more,” the chief wizard said. “You will also find the shopkeepers more accommodating. And when the gates open tomorrow morning, they will open earlier than usual. That is not a kindness, you understand. The easier you equip yourself, the faster you leave Golden Snowcloud. You should make good time before others notice your departure,” she added.

Her attention dropped to the desk and a stack of papers. Yún released an audible breath. Relief? Despair? I could hardly tell how I felt myself.

No time to wonder. The guard laid a hand upon my shoulder and pointed to the door. We were dismissed.

9

WE SPENT THE REST OF THAT DAY REPACKING, repairing, and generally refitting for our journey.

It wasn’t a happy time.

“I don’t care what magic spells that old wizard worked. You should rest,” I told Yún, once we returned to our rented stall. “Watch over Yao-guài, and let me take care of everything.”

“No.” She snapped off the word.

“But you’re—”

/> “I’m fine. Great. Never better.”

She faced away from me, just the curve of her brown cheek visible, framed by wisps of black hair. Her shoulders were hunched high and stiff, and she’d wrapped her arms around her chest, like chains around a treasure box. Whatever words came rising up in my thoughts would be the wrong ones, I could tell.

I just wanted to do the right thing. And I am sorry. I am.